Give Thy Rhodochrosite
by Bishounenchaser
Summary: One kind word can warm three winter months. A string of kind words warm Hinata's heart for years setting off a chain of events. Naruto is not the only blond on Hinata's mind.


**This came to me after watching a movie and I decided to write. If you want to know the meaning of the stone, Rhodochrosite, well you'll know at the end. I might continue this into a two-part piece but only if it's reviewed well and people enjoy it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto in anyway.**

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**Give Thy Rhodochrosite**

_**One kind word can warm three winter months **_

_-Japanese Proverb_

"You're such a pretty girl Hinata. Don't worry what people say about you. Focus on your strengths…Your heart. Okay? Next time I see you I want to see a smile!"

Hinata remembers a younger Hinata, when she was seven years old she remembers she watched the most popular girl in the village. Those kind words followed by a peck on the forehead and a wave. The most popular girl in the village had taken her from her place by the river where she cried and brought her back to her compound with peace in her heart. The words she had longed to hear for so long warmed her heart and no one could take them away. Back then the girl was a beautiful but kind girl the same age as herself named Ino Yamanaka who took a misfortunate girl who was self-conscious about herself named Sakura and gave her someone who cared about her. Hinata remembers she had been jealous because she wanted to be Ino's friend. Perhaps back then, she when didn't know any better she would say it had been a crush as all young children have crushes no matter what age or gender and her own was the pretty blond girl. Soon however it developed into something deeper and she realized it was admiration.

Hinata wanted to be like this out-spoken yet kind girl who cared about her friends and wasn't afraid to defend them. When Hinata was seven years old she watched her idol let her best friend turn her back on her over a boy. A boy that Hinata knew liked neither of them and a boy who the popular girl didn't like either. The other children just put them together because shouldn't it make sense that the most popular girl and the most popular boy be together? When Hinata was seven years old she watched the most popular girl run with a red ribbon in her hand towards a blooming sakura tree and sit under it sniffing quietly to herself. Hinata had followed and though she wanted to comfort the girl she admired Hinata was much too timid for such a thing. So the young Hyuga sat on the opposite side of the tree Ino was against and silently tried to comfort the blond girl.

After that Hinata remembers Ino began to change into someone who was arrogant and self-serving. Someone who begun a rivalry with the one who had hurt her for someone she cared little for. Not at all the girl that Hinata admired, it was then that another blond came into her eyes. A boy with a loud mouth not afraid to speak his mind or defend his friends, who was kind despite what others thought. The boy reminded her of Ino so much that her admiration switched. Hinata remembers though she occasionally slipped some looks at Ino.

During the chunnin exams she was silently cheered for Ino to win. She knew Ino was the better fighter yet her mind was clouded with the fact she was fighting someone she cared a great deal about. If Ino wanted to win she could have won, she did graduate at the top of their class out of the kunoichis. When Hinata looked up to see Naruto supporting her, she also looked for another blond hoping to see some acknowledgement.

Simply put Hinata loved Ino.

It wasn't until the failed mission of Sasuke's retrieval that Hinata got the recognition she wanted. They met in the hospital and Ino invited Hinata to lunch. Gone was the arrogant girl who fought over a heart she didn't want, replaced by the gentle yet outgoing girl that Hinata aspired to be. After that they became quick friends and Hinata found herself liking even more qualities that Ino had.

For example Ino was much gentler than people gave her credit for. You would have to be to handle the delicate flowers she dealt with everyday. Though her hands were rough from hours of training she had a soft touch that made you want to sink into her hand. Ino's status as a popular person had not changed though Sakura had raised slightly before her the pink-haired girl had became immersed in her work and therefore had little time with the people. Ino may have been the captain of the ANBU interrogation squad but she was a people's person and got along rather well with people when she was trying to pretend to be someone she wasn't.

Hinata found some things she didn't like as well. Ino had many suitors. Even older men were going to Inoshi and asking for Ino's hand. This included her own cousin and much to Hinata's dismay, Ino actually found some interest in Neji. The only thing that kept Hinata was being completely demolished was the fact that they were both happy. Both of them denied a relationship but it was clear in their body language and Hinata could tell there was a change in her Ino.

So Hinata continued to watch, even when she was twenty-four years old she continued to watch the woman she admired and loved.

The woman she was in love with.

Until she could stop rubbing the stone in her pocket and give the other woman a hint of her affections with the pink and red rhodochrosite.

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The pink and red bands of rhodochrosite are associated with harmony, comfort, tolerance, compassion, and love.

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